Another Kawasaki Project !
- Thread starter CAT3
- Start date
While I'm messing around with the front fork swop I'd decided that I didn't really like the standard Kawasaki LED indicators the RS's come with. Some years ago I'd bought some later model Triumph LED indicators to replace the earlier Triumph "normal" indicators fitted to my Daytona 955i, ( a job I still haven't got round to doing !!). Anyway, I got a guy to 3D print me some adaptors to mount the Triumph indicators in place of the Kawasaki ones. The only trouble is now I'll have to do the same for the rear indicators, so they all match & buy four more for the Daytona !! 
I think they look much than the Kawasaki offerings.
I think they look much than the Kawasaki offerings.
Come home from work earlier than expected today so went over to Maxton's to pick up my forks & rear unit 
A quick glance & the forks don't really look that much different. Both have adjustable pre-load & the left leg has the compression adjustment while the right leg does the rebound adjustment.
Fork bottoms with the new, anodised caliper carriers.
Fork tops, can't beat a bit of anodised purple !!
And the NR4 rear unit with remote spring pre-load adjuster. I could have gone the whole hog & gone for a GP10 rear unit, but positioning the piggy-back reservoir would have been problematic due to space/clearance. I'm sure this "lesser" unit will be more than adequate for my abilities !!
The unit also comes with a suitable mounting bracket, spacer & machined cap-head screws to mount the adjuster using the right-hand passenger footpeg mount.
A quick glance & the forks don't really look that much different. Both have adjustable pre-load & the left leg has the compression adjustment while the right leg does the rebound adjustment.
Fork bottoms with the new, anodised caliper carriers.
Fork tops, can't beat a bit of anodised purple !!
And the NR4 rear unit with remote spring pre-load adjuster. I could have gone the whole hog & gone for a GP10 rear unit, but positioning the piggy-back reservoir would have been problematic due to space/clearance. I'm sure this "lesser" unit will be more than adequate for my abilities !!
The unit also comes with a suitable mounting bracket, spacer & machined cap-head screws to mount the adjuster using the right-hand passenger footpeg mount.
I’ve never had Maxton suspension because I hated the purple and the same with the blue Nitron but you could at least have the optional black spring.
Racist....
I'm the same with Maxton. Looks hideous. I always liked K-Tec but they're up there with Ohlins in price. Nitron is about the best affordable aftermarket option IMO. If you've got an old Rizla blue Gixxer Nitron turquoise is a perfect match. If you've got a red and black Ducati or an orange KTM it's going to look shit. The all black Nitron gear actually looks quite smart. At least they offer an option.
Powder coating a spring in your desired colour costs not alot. Getting the shock body and other gubbins Anodized ain't to bad either . If ya do it from the off while you are getting the work done its not so bad. I had my ohlins shock and showa forks custom colored by Brooke's suspension whilst having ktech internals fitted and it didn't ad a great deal to the price.
You have to be careful with powder coating springs because high temp curing can wreck the tempering of the spring. There are low temp and cold-curing specialist powders.
I don't know why manufacturers don't offer a choice of colour options so buyers can colour match to their bike. It wouldn't be difficult or greatly expensive.
True, hence getting the suspension company to get the coatings done rather the ya one size fits all powder coaters.
Each to their own, I like the fact that Maxton's "colour" is purple, it makes a statement that it is a Maxton unit, in just the same way Ohlin's use yellow & White Power used white. Also, Maxton are quite close to where I live & many years ago a great friend of mine started circuit racing on a Maxton TZ250. I went with him to see Ron quite a few times over the years & always had a soft spot for his company & their products, Ron was such a lovely guy. My mate always used Maxton to build units for him when he was building one-offs & modifiying bikes, most recently for his Vyrus & I've fallen for them too ! Cost wise Maxton are much the same as the "other" quality suppliers anyway.
In fairness my Kawasaki RS is predominately black anyway & this the purple spring goes quite well with black & the thinish green strip on the tank.
Trouble is I think, we are that used to Ohlin's & yellow springs, anytime anybody sees a yellow spring they just assume it's an Ohlins unit, when most of the time it's not. Also, to be honest, there's not that many other colours a suspension company could use to go with every bike that makes the statement, "this is one of my units". Maxton & Nitron both do black as a spring option & most likely others do too, but I want people to know I've not got an OEM unit fitted. Nitron units look real good quality items, well made from quality materials, same as Maxton & the same as KTech, from what I've seen of their offerings, (I do have a Nitron rear unit on my Triumph Daytona 955). And again, to be honest any one of those companies offerings will far out-perform my abilities on the road !!
The Ohlins internals that Maxton removed from my forks look a bit naff/cheap to be honest, quality wise & if I'd known at the time I bought the forks that Nitron did RWU forks I'd most likely have gone for their version over the Ohlins, the Nitron versions look far better in my opinion.
Having said that the Maxton USD forks my mate bought for his last project look awfully nice too, sadly he never got to see the bike finished before he passed away 
My son's white Panigale V2 would look really trick with a Maxton unit & purple spring on the side, in full view !! Still trying to convince him to get one, but as he PCP's his bikes there's less incentive to spend that kind of money on a "toy". I'm old-school & like a hamster, I buy & seldom sell any "toys" !!
In fairness my Kawasaki RS is predominately black anyway & this the purple spring goes quite well with black & the thinish green strip on the tank.
Trouble is I think, we are that used to Ohlin's & yellow springs, anytime anybody sees a yellow spring they just assume it's an Ohlins unit, when most of the time it's not. Also, to be honest, there's not that many other colours a suspension company could use to go with every bike that makes the statement, "this is one of my units". Maxton & Nitron both do black as a spring option & most likely others do too, but I want people to know I've not got an OEM unit fitted. Nitron units look real good quality items, well made from quality materials, same as Maxton & the same as KTech, from what I've seen of their offerings, (I do have a Nitron rear unit on my Triumph Daytona 955). And again, to be honest any one of those companies offerings will far out-perform my abilities on the road !!
The Ohlins internals that Maxton removed from my forks look a bit naff/cheap to be honest, quality wise & if I'd known at the time I bought the forks that Nitron did RWU forks I'd most likely have gone for their version over the Ohlins, the Nitron versions look far better in my opinion.
Having said that the Maxton USD forks my mate bought for his last project look awfully nice too
, sadly he never got to see the bike finished before he passed away My son's white Panigale V2 would look really trick with a Maxton unit & purple spring on the side, in full view !! Still trying to convince him to get one, but as he PCP's his bikes there's less incentive to spend that kind of money on a "toy". I'm old-school & like a hamster, I buy & seldom sell any "toys" !!
, so here's a bit more purple for you "haters" !! 
The spring on my KR’s Nitron (a bike I finished building years ago btw) has a black spring, specced by my local Ohlins official dealer and made to his spec using my geometry measurements 
- I told him I wanted black but it does have some jaunty blue writing on it 
its still got an anodised blue adjuster on one of the the remote adjusters though 
- I told him I wanted black but it does have some jaunty blue writing on it its still got an anodised blue adjuster on one of the the remote adjusters though
Just humour him Noobie, I think he thinks it's finished, but we know differently !!Is that finished yet
He’ll never finish itIs that finished yet
and he’s only changing the wheels see my reply to Noobie - I know you haven’t finished your pit stop wheel change yetJust humour him Noobie, I think he thinks it's finished, but we know differently !!
Made a couple of adaptors today out of plastic so I can use my SkyLift to lift the RS up to change the rear shock. They plug into the swingarm pivots & being plastic they shouldn't scratch the frame paint.
These SkyLifts are really so, so useful & I got it cheap off some old bloke, somewhere in the York area, (I think he'd bought it for a project that he never finished)
These SkyLifts are really so, so useful & I got it cheap off some old bloke, somewhere in the York area, (I think he'd bought it for a project that he never finished)
Ah yeah.Made a couple of adaptors today out of plastic so I can use my SkyLift to lift the RS up to change the rear shock. They plug into the swingarm pivots & being plastic they shouldn't scratch the frame paint.
These SkyLifts are really so, so useful & I got it cheap off some old bloke, somewhere in the York area, (I think he'd bought it for a project that he never finished)
View attachment 160531
It's taken him so long, I doubt he will ever finish it.
3, 2, 1...
Made a couple of adaptors today out of plastic so I can use my SkyLift to lift the RS up to change the rear shock. They plug into the swingarm pivots & being plastic they shouldn't scratch the frame paint.
These SkyLifts are really so, so useful & I got it cheap off some old bloke, somewhere in the York area, (I think he'd bought it for a project that he never finished)
View attachment 160531
I built a Kawasaki from scratch 10 times quicker than it's taken you to change your wheels - and you're not done yet
Purple and green is perfect kawasakiGot up this morning full of enthusiasm & got the new rear shock fitted. He's some more PURPLE for the haters !!
View attachment 160565
View attachment 160564
That's true.Purple and green is perfect kawasaki
I know a guy with a green Kawasaki and he goes an amazing shade of purple when you tell him he confuses weeks and years. It's great!
I heard you finished it a month before you started it.I built a Kawasaki from scratch 10 times quicker than it's taken you to change your wheels - and you're not done yet
View attachment 160535
T B
Almost yes!
This is the bike as it currently stands,
I did consider having the green strip on the tank changed to PURPLE, but I think it's just too much work when it looks OK to me as it is
I've noticed today, as I was messing about with the pre-load adjuster, the more you wind the pre-load up the more PURPLE you see on the shock body as the anodised PURPLE sleeve comes more into view !!
I did consider having the green strip on the tank changed to PURPLE, but I think it's just too much work when it looks OK to me as it is
I've noticed today, as I was messing about with the pre-load adjuster, the more you wind the pre-load up the more PURPLE you see on the shock body as the anodised PURPLE sleeve comes more into view !!